Nepean Towing provides boat towing in Ottawa for boaters whose tow vehicle or trailer has broken down on the way to or from the water. Whether you are on the 417 heading to Constance Bay, stuck at a boat launch off the Rideau River, or your boat trailer has given out on a rural road near the Ottawa Valley, call (613) 619-4545 and we dispatch across the Ottawa-Gatineau area to get you moving again.
Boat towing on the road is different from standard vehicle towing because the combined length and weight of the tow vehicle plus trailer must be handled as a unit. We are equipped for this and confirm the details of your setup when you call so the right truck arrives with the capacity to move the whole rig safely.
Our boat towing service covers road-based situations involving a boat on its trailer. This includes towing the tow vehicle and trailer together when the tow vehicle breaks down, recovering a trailer that has come disconnected from the hitch, towing a boat trailer with a flat or failed tyre, and transporting a boat and trailer to a storage facility, marina, or repair location in Ottawa or across the region.
We do not provide on-water marine rescue or watercraft recovery from lakes and rivers. Our service is entirely road-based. If your trailer is still attached to the vehicle and the vehicle has broken down, we can move the full combination. If the trailer alone needs to be moved, we can tow it to your destination once we confirm the trailer's condition and weight.
A truck or SUV with a boat trailer attached presents a different towing challenge than a standard passenger vehicle. The combined length affects the approach for loading or connecting, the total weight determines which truck we need to send, and the trailer's brake and light connections need to be checked before moving. When you call, tell us the make and model of the tow vehicle, a rough estimate of the boat and trailer length, and whether the trailer is still connected to the vehicle or has separated.
For larger cabin cruisers and pontoon boats on heavy trailers, we may need to send a truck with higher towing capacity than a standard flatbed. The combined weight of a large fibreglass boat, a loaded trailer, and a full-size truck can approach or exceed standard tow truck ratings. We confirm this before dispatching so there are no surprises when the driver arrives and finds the combination is heavier than expected.
If your boat trailer has separated from the hitch while underway, get both the tow vehicle and the trailer safely off the road immediately. A disconnected trailer on an active road creates a serious hazard for other drivers. Turn on the hazard lights on the tow vehicle and, if possible, move the trailer to the shoulder using the trailer's safety chains if they are still attached and holding. Call us and call Ottawa Police or OPP if the trailer is obstructing traffic. Do not attempt to reconnect the trailer on the road without inspecting the hitch and ball for damage first.
Ottawa's boating season runs from May through October, with the highest activity concentrated around the Rideau River, the Ottawa River, Constance Bay, Lac Deschênes, and the Rideau Lakes system further south. The busiest boat towing call periods are long weekends when large numbers of boaters are on the road simultaneously, and early and late in the season when vehicles that have sat through winter or been pushed past the end of season are more likely to have mechanical issues on the road.
Boat launches in the Ottawa-Gatineau area include locations in Kanata, Nepean, Barrhaven, Orleans, and along the Quebec side near Gatineau Park. We cover all of these areas. If you have a breakdown near a launch site, give us the launch name or road name and we locate you quickly.
At the end of the season, boats need to move from the water to winter storage. If your tow vehicle cannot make the trip, or if you do not have a suitable vehicle for towing, we can transport your boat and trailer to a storage facility or marina within the Ottawa-Gatineau area. Call with your pickup location, the boat and trailer details, and the destination address, and we quote you a flat rate for the transport before dispatching.
View all towing options on our Towing Service Ottawa page.
Yes. We tow the truck and trailer as a combined unit. When you call, tell us the truck make and model, an estimate of the boat and trailer length, and the approximate combined weight if you know it. This lets us confirm the right truck capacity before dispatching. For larger setups, we may need to send a higher-capacity vehicle than a standard flatbed, which we sort out before leaving the yard rather than after arriving.
Get both the truck and the trailer off active traffic lanes immediately. Use the trailer's safety chains if they are still attached to slow and guide the trailer to the shoulder. Turn on hazard lights on the truck. Call Ottawa Police or OPP if the trailer is blocking traffic, then call us. Do not reconnect the hitch on the road without inspecting the ball and coupler for damage first. A hitch failure that caused a full separation almost always involves damage to one or both components that needs to be assessed before the trailer is towed again.
Yes. If the trailer has a spare and the flat tyre is accessible, a roadside assistance call may be all that is needed to get the spare mounted and have you on the road. If there is no spare, if the tyre cannot be changed safely at the launch location, or if the rim is damaged, we can tow the trailer to a tyre shop or your storage location. Call us with the situation and location and we advise on the fastest resolution.
It depends on the total weight and dimensions. Large fibreglass boats, pontoon boats, and cabin cruisers on heavy-duty trailers can exceed standard tow truck capacity when combined with the tow vehicle. When you call, give us the boat length, the trailer type, and the tow vehicle so we can assess whether standard or higher-capacity equipment is needed. We confirm before dispatching rather than sending a truck that cannot handle the load.
Road only. Our boat towing service covers the tow vehicle and trailer on Ottawa roads, highways, and launch sites. We do not provide on-water marine rescue, watercraft recovery from rivers or lakes, or any services that require our equipment to operate on or near the water. If you need on-water assistance, contact the Canadian Coast Guard Auxiliary or a local marina with rescue capability.
Call Nepean Towing. We dispatch across the Ottawa-Gatineau area for boat and trailer combinations, at any time during boating season and year-round.
(613) 619-4545
See all Ottawa towing services: Towing Service Ottawa
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